In A Time of Need v2
by ariadnescurse
Summary: In the five years since graduation, Brooke has managed to build a life for herself in New York, and distance herself from the world she left behind in Tree Hill. One week before Christmas, a series of phone calls will drag her back home, to face the one man she's never been able to let go of. BRUCAS
1. Chapter 1

The rain wouldn't stop falling, the soft thud of the downpour against the window belying the hard rain outside. The forecast had been grim that morning, another 24 hours of freezing cold rain followed by too many inches of snow to start the week. It promised to be a muddy holiday. The skies were dark gray, a dull glow high up in the clouds from the full moon just barely coming through. Christmas was five days away, and the city was awash in the holiday spirit despite the rain. Faint flickers of holiday lights shimmered in the rain-kissed windows, even from the penthouse floor of her building downtown. New Yorkers were a resilient group; it would take more than sleet and snow to shut down the city's streets so close to its second favorite holiday.

Her apartment glittered and sparkled with holiday cheer; stockings hung over a low fire in the fireplace, a Christmas tree blinking merrily in the corner. Shimmering garland hung from the walls and draped the balustrades. It was all a facade, a show she paid other people to put on to keep the questions at bay. Money had its advantages occasionally. Mask the pain and loneliness with false happiness enough times, and some day maybe it'll be real. And that's sometimes what terrified Brooke Davis the most.

Tonight the melancholy was particularly painful for some reason Brooke had yet to puzzle out. Sitting in her favorite spot in the whole apartment, she stared out the large bay window at the twinkling lights below and sighed deeply. Life was going pretty well, all things considered. Her company was soaring, the new Spring fashion line a major hit among the critics and other designers; the orders were already piling in, her most expensive pieces the most in demand. The holiday party she'd hosted for her company and best vendors the previous weekend had been a huge success, the red carpet as popular as any awards show. And in two weeks, Brooke would board a private jet to St. Lucia for the first vacation since she landed her first fashion show. She should be happy, content.

Instead, her mind was a swirling black hole of familiar thoughts, dark depressing questions that left her view of the world and the life she'd worked so hard to build in a very shitty light. What was the point of all this money, if she had nothing to do with it? Why work herself into exhaustion day in and day out? Empires are built to pass onto the next generation, to be remembered and honored and cherished. Who would cherish her, honor the empire she'd built? Who would take over when she was finally ready to step down? No one, that's who. And really, that was just sad and defeating and nine kinds of wrong.

"Merry Christmas to me," Brooke whispered softly to herself, looking for answers in the rain and lights and finding nothing, the same as any other night for the past month. Something needed to change, Brooke acknowledged as much. It was why she'd finally carved out the vacation time and scheduled a two-week break from all things work-related. Her assistant was more than capable of handling the daily tasks, and her team had been carefully cultivated from the best in their respective fields; Brooke was confident her company could thrive without her for fourteen days and not burn down to ashes. What Brooke wasn't confident of, was the vacation. With the way things had been going for Brooke lately, all the vacation would do is leave her with a nasty sunburn and sand in places it shouldn't be.

Brooke turned to slide off the window bench, pulling the blanket around her shoulders a little tighter. Rising to her feet slowly, she stretched and walked down the hallway to the kitchen. The kitchen was what drew her to the penthouse in the first place, which is strange considering her complete lack of skill in anything culinary. The gleaming black countertops and white cabinets spoke to her fashion soul though. Everything about that kitchen had been built for her, she was sure of it, not that that was possible. It was the first room she'd unpacked and settled into, starting with the coffee pot on the counter and the wine fridge in the corner. Priorities.

Stretching to open the cabinet, the phone ringing behind her made her jump. Brooke turned and reached for the phone. "Hello?"

"Brooke Davis?" a quiet voice asked.

"Yes, who's this?" She didn't recognize the woman's voice, which was unusual considering the call came in on her private, unlisted home phone and not her business phone.

"Stay away from Tree Hill," the woman said instead, a quiet menace in her tone that took Brooke completely by surprise.

"Excuse me? I'm sorry, what did you say?" Brooke was thoroughly confused. What in the world?

"You aren't needed here, no one wants you. Don't come back." The line went dead, leaving Brooke staring at a dead receiver and with a thousand questions.

"What the hell? That wasn't weird, _at all_ ," she muttered, replacing the receiver in the cradle and standing back. A few moments later she shook herself and resumed the hunt for the wine glass. "Tomorrow. I'll deal with that tomorrow. Tonight is Christmas lights and Bing Crosby, damnit," Brooke muttered to herself, pouring her favorite red into the procured glass.

Walking past the window seat, Brooke gently flopped down onto the soft cushion of her couch, her eyes falling to the crackling fire glowing softly in the fireplace. She reached forward to grab the remote, powered on the TV and flipped through the channels. It wasn't a night for loud shows or absorbing episodes; she searched for something quiet, to make the room feel a little less lonely. The first sip of wine allowed the sadness and hurt to come forward again, which is about the time she realized the phone call was distracting her still. Brooke hadn't thought of Tree Hill, NC. or the people who lived there, in months.

In the five years since they'd all split and gone separate directions, she'd watched the life she loved slowly fracture apart and fade into the woodwork. Brooke stayed in touch with her friends at first. Knew when Rachel moved to New York, heard when Peyton found out she earned the internship in California. Knew when Lucas started coaching at the high school. Granted, there were gaping holes in her information, but she tried hard to keep up on the major events.

She'd tried so hard to help her friends. When Nathan and Haley bought their new house, she'd needled and begged until they let her gift the down payment. When Skillz was given the chance to move to Washington to play but didn't have the funds for the cross-country trip, she arranged for movers and placed a deposit on a two-bedroom condo near the college he was to attend. Brooke had tried to be there as much as she could for her friends, as long as it didn't mean she had to get too personal. It was always easier dealing with someone else's problems than her own.

Five years had seen a lot of changes in Brooke's own life too. Her parents had finally divorced, and as a bid to earn her attentions they'd both contributed income to her bank account. Turned out she'd needed neither parent's money, seeing as how her grandmother had left more than Brooke could ever have imagined to her. Graduating from high school had brought about an invitation to New York, and with all the pain in Tree Hill, it seemed like a no brainer.

Leave the pain and torture and broken hearts and lies and love behind for a once in a life time shot at a career of her dreams. Sure. Piece of cake. So why, when she finally left, did she feel like she'd made the biggest mistake in her 23 years?

Glancing around, she sighed at the cookie cutter life she had come to expect. Everything looked like it had stepped right from the pages of Better Homes and Gardens, and maybe it had. There wasn't a dirty dish to be seen, no spots on the floor from puppies and kids, and god forbid a piece of laundry peeked from under a bed. It was perfection, and she felt like it all was going to come shattering down around her ears if she breathed too loudly.

Christmas had once been Brooke's favorite holiday. Back when she was still innocent to what the world had in store for her, before all the heartache and pain, betrayal and lies. Even five years removed, there were moments when the emotions took her breath away, crippling her in its suddenness. Right after high school graduation, being alone for the holidays had sounded like paradise, when her family had abandoned her, and her friends were constant sources of pain and jealousy. As the years progressed, and her life in New York began to grow along with her career, the holidays faded into the background, the lack of family and friends going unnoticed. She can't remember the exact moment when things changed, or what the catalyst was, but one day, all Brooke knew was the emptiness of her apartment, the aching hole in her life where her friends used to be, and this deep sense of loss that no amount of wine or fancy red carpets could assuage.

It was too much, the suddenly strong emotions where before there had been mostly numbness and a little despair. She was already struggling with her own current reality, the last thing she needed, or wanted, was something from Tree Hill to climb up and smack her in the face.

"Enough," Brooke whispered to the fire that had captured her gaze. Enough with the morose trip down memory lane, the past was the past. The call rattled her more than she'd expected, but she shook it off.

Stopping briefly in the kitchen for a refill, Brooke made her way down the hall to the stairs, a long hot soak in her roman tub the next stop. Rounding the corner, she saw her purse sitting on the table by the staircase, and noticed the flashing coming from the smallest pocket. Flashing lights meant missed calls, and potentially voicemails. Brooke reached into the pocket and pulled out her phone, unlocking the keypad.

Three missed calls. Haley, Rachel, Lucas _._ Oh god. What were the odds? Taking the cell and her wine glass with her, she walked upstairs to her enormous room.

Pulling her socks off in the corner and slipping out of her slacks, she began to draw a bath. One mysterious call she might have been able to dismiss. But four calls, in one night, from people she hadn't seen or heard from in months - years in some cases - couldn't be ignored. The question was, just what the hell was she supposed to do now? _Should I call them back? Who do I call back? Am I ready for this?_ Brooke drifted off, lost in her own thoughts, not really paying attention to anything. The vibrating phone in her hand snapped her back to the present, and she turned to shut off the water.

The caller ID showed Rachel's name and number, and of the three missed calls Rachel was most likely to cause the least amount of pain. Feeling guilty for not having kept in touch after her last visit, Brooke opened the phone and took the first step in what would turn out to be a very, very long road.

"Hello?"

"Brooke? God, it's good to hear your voice! I'm glad you answered the phone!" Rachel's snobby voice came through loud and clear, and a shadow of a smile hovered around Brooke's lips for the first time in months.

"It's good to hear your voice too Rachel. How are you?"

"Honestly, a little worried. I tried to call you earlier, did you get my voicemail?"

"No, I'm sorry. I just realized that I missed your call. What's up?" Brooke could sense something bad looming, but tried to shake it off. Just because they'd all called her tonight didn't mean the world was coming to an end. She hoped.

"Brooke, look, I'm sorry but...well. I don't really know how to say this…" Rachel was being uncharacteristically shy, and that bad feeling grew stronger.

"Rachel, just spit it out. It's not like you to shy away from something, especially if it could bring drama to a situation." Brooke tried to make light of the situation, for both their sakes, but it just ended up falling flat.

"Brooke, seriously, I'd never joke about something like this. Please believe me. I don't even know where to start. Things have gotten really bad here, and we are running out of ways to try and fix the mess Lucas has created for himself. Haley has been arguing against involving you in the shit storm here, and I think she's in denial. If she doesn't bring you into this, then it can't be that bad.

But it is that bad. You _have_ to come back to Tree Hill."

"Wait, what? What's wrong with Luke? What in the world is going on? I get this strange phone call on my private home line from some chick telling me to stay away from home, and now you call me talking about how I need to come home and Luke is in trouble? I'm clearly missing something here. What is going on?" Brooke emphasized again.

"She _called_ you?!" Rachel asked in disbelief.

"I don't know who called me, the woman never gave me a name. But I definitely didn't get a warm fuzzy feeling from the call," Brooke answered, backing away from the tub to settle on the vanity chair in front of her bathroom counter.

"It had to be the idiot's girlfriend. There have been some pretty explosive arguments the last couple days, and I think she finally realized we all aren't going away. I don't know where Lucas is with all this, but I don't particularly care at this point. The bitch went after Hales in front of her kids, and that's just…" Rachel drifted off, her anger taking over her ability to form coherent thought. "She's fucking lucky I wasn't there, that's what." She eventually said, gritting her teeth.

"She went after Haley? WHAT?" Brooke jumped up from the chair, the intensity of her anger catching her off guard. The sudden movement made her dizzy, and she gripped the edge of the chair back firmly.

"Do you believe me now? Things here are bad, Bookie. I can't explain it over the phone, it's too much to talk about-"

"Rachel-"

"Look Brooke. I know you're hurting. I know you're trying your damnedest to distance yourself from Tree Hill. But we need you to come back. Just for a little while. We all need to be there, and we all need your strength to fix this situation. Lucas has gotten himself into some deep shit here and the only one he'll listen to is you. Or at least that's what we're hoping for, since he hasn't listened to the rest of us. And lord knows we've tried."

The brunette sighed, a deep aching exhalation of breath that barely grazed the surface of the uncertainty and fear swirling in her body. It was too much to take in, too much worry and heartache and painful memories on top of all the emotions she was already struggling with. She needed to step back.

"Rachel, I can't. You know why I can't. It's been too long, too much water under the bridge. How in the world could I help? I was never the one he wanted. He made that quite clear when it was time to settle scores. Who's this mystery chick? Why does Lucas need saving?"

"I can't explain it over the phone. The bitch needs to take a flying leap off the tallest building and then land with a nose dive into thirty feet thick concrete."

"You aren't helping Rachel," Brooke warned, her patience almost gone. This conversation was doing nothing but damaging her calm, and her steaming bath called to her.

"Please, Brooke, just come home."

 _Home._

And there it was. Tree Hill was home, not because she'd grown up there, but because she'd been loved, had loved, and experienced life there. Her friends were there, her heart was there…did she have enough strength left to go back, only to turn around and leave it all again?

"Rachel, I need to know what's going on. If you won't tell me, then I'll call Haley." Brooke pushed the plug on the bathtub; it didn't look like she'd be taking a bath anytime soon.

"Yeah, maybe calling Haley is for the best. She's been the glue that held us all together the past six months, and she'd know best what to do. That's a really good idea, call Haley and talk to her. But please, say you'll come home?"

"I can't and I won't. Not right now. Look, I'll call you when I make up my mind, okay?"

"Alright, just listen to Hales, okay? Don't shut her out just because it has to do with…well, with him." Rachel sounded so sad, worn out. It was startling, and did nothing to ease Brooke's concerns. Something bad really was going on, and apparently had been, for some time. Fantastic.

"I'll do what I can, Rach. Take care." Brooke hung up the phone after saying goodbye. Her nerves were shot and the wine glass was empty. Time for a refill. Wrapping a robe around her slim body, Brooke stopped for a moment and examined her reflection in the mirror.

A couple changes here and there, a maturity to her structure and poise. She'd stayed slim and fit, and even had managed to tone some areas of her body that before weren't as perfect as she'd have liked. Her skin was smooth and blemish-free, her hair was as luxurious as ever. So why did she always feel uncomfortable in her own skin? It couldn't be a normal thing to know you'd willingly give it all up for a moment of true happiness. For a moment of true peace.

Shaking her head, she tightened the robe around her waist and headed back downstairs to the kitchen. Another refill, and back to the lovely window seat that started this fun-filled evening of chit chat. Sliding her cell phone up again, she pulled up Haley's contact information and pushed send. Now to find out what all was going on, and if it'd gotten so bad that they needed reinforcements, then how come she hadn't heard anything about it before? Brooke took a deep breath as the call connected and started ringing; _time to get some answers,_ she thought to herself.

"Brooke?!" Hearing her best friend's voice soothed something deep in Brooke's soul; god she'd missed Haley. How long had it been since they last talked?

"Hey Tutor-Mom. What the fuck is going on?" Brooke asked. Probably not the most tactful way to open a conversation, but Brooke felt she was entitled to a little bit of frustration. Haley's long sigh didn't help Brooke's calm at all.

"I tried calling, did you get my voicemail?"

"No, I'm sorry, I haven't made it that far yet. I just got off the phone with Rachel, and some chick called me right before that, that Rachel says is Lucas' girlfriend, or something like that –"

"I'm sorry, what did you just say?" Halley interrupted in a stunned tone.

"You heard me. I'm sitting here minding my own business, and I get a call, _on my private house line_ ," Brooke stressed, "from some female who tells me to stay away from Tree Hill. Then you, Rachel, _and Lucas_ call me."

"Okay, back up. _Lucas_ called you? And Amber?" Haley was stunned nearly speechless. "What?"

"Oh good, you sound as thrown as I am. Except, you know what's going on. And I'm over here, blindsided by four phone calls in one night, when I haven't heard a peep out of Tree Hill in months. So…what the fuck, Haley?" Brooke says again, exhaling hard.

The silence on the other end of the line carried on for what felt like hours. Brooke sat patiently, quietly sipping on her wine while she waited for her friend to say something.

"Hales? What's going on? I talked to Rachel, but she refused to say anything to me. I gotta admit it, I'm more than a little worried here. Its five days to Christmas everyone should be happy and out keeping the economy alive, not calling me and trying to incite panic."

"I'm so sorry Brookie. Things have gone to hell in a hand basket on a one-way express ticket, and I can't do this without you. I've tried, lord knows I've tried for months now to leave you out of this, but I just can't anymore. James is sick, Nathan's depressed that his brother is slowly fading away, and I can't keep fighting for everyone else when I've got to fight just to stay awake right now." Haley sounded so tired and worn out. It momentarily left Brooke speechless, this deep ache and heartache that she wasn't even trying to hide. That sense of panic and worry that had been hovering around the edges settled firmly in the pit of Brooke's stomach, and put down roots.

"Come on Hales, give yourself some credit. You're stronger than you think. Can you at least tell me what's going on?"

"It's not something said over the phone. Come to Tree Hill, spend some time with me and Nathan and James, and I'll catch you up. If after I've filled you in, you decide you don't or can't help, then you're free to head back, and I promise we won't drag you back into this again."

"Oh Hales…what's my broody boy gotten himself into?" Brooke sighed. There wasn't a way Brooke could have said no, even if she'd been the cold hearted bitch everyone in sophomore year had accused her of being. Knowing full well she couldn't do less for him than she'd already done for the rest of her friends, she agreed to come for a visit. She told Haley she'd be driving into town, and to expect her in a few days.

 **A/N:** Welcome to _In A Time of Need,_ version 2.0. For new readers, there is an original version to this story that is INCOMPLETE, and will not be finished. I took too many years trying to fix the errors in the first version, and lost my inspiration. I'm coming at this from a different angle, so I'm posting a new story. For reference, I started writing this after watching season 4, and hadn't seen season 5. Lindsey doesn't exist, Lucas didn't finish writing his book. Lucas and Peyton split up, and Peyton and Brooke are friends.

 **Disclaimer: I do not own One Tree Hill, it's characters, or plotlines. I'm only playing with the characters for my own amusement, and will never see a dime from this story.**


	2. Chapter 2

When Brooke was younger, an unannounced road trip meant a shopping trip, and maybe a couple stops at professors' offices to beg off on tests or assignments. Definitely stops at the salon, and lots of packing. That was the first year she'd been in New York.

Life hasn't been that simple in a long, long time.

Being a fashion designer had its perks, yes. She set her own schedule, or had her assistant do it, came and went as she pleased – as long as the job allowed it - and generally speaking ran her own world. The fact that her job was her world helped some.

It still took Brooke two days to arrange for an extended absence, partly because she had no clue just how long she'd be gone and she was supposed to be going on vacation in two weeks, not two days. She'd be taking her laptop with her for emergency purposes, and her staff was more than competent in their jobs, so she wasn't terribly worried. But still, taking time off always made Brooke twitch, although judging by her assistant's immense relief when Brooke asked her to start making plans, was maybe something she needed to do more often.

On the third day, two days before Christmas, Brooke locked up her apartment, piled a couple of suitcases in the trunk of her rental, and took a deep, steeling inhale. Driving to North Carolina would be a nice reprieve from the city, give her a chance to get her mind in order and try to prepare. Brooke snorted softly. With the little she knew going into this whole mess, preparation would be a joke. But the idea of the open road, nothing but the music coming from the speakers and the kind of peace that can only come from being alone with yourself beckoned to her. It'd been entirely too long since she'd made a trip like this, and, for today at least, Brooke was going to enjoy the break.

It took nine hours to drive from New York to Tree Hill, and Brooke sighed contentedly as she pulled into the hotel in Raleigh Wednesday night. She could have kept going, surprised everyone the night before she was due in town. But just like driving appealed to her more than flying, staying in a hotel and arriving fresh and war mask firmly in place the next morning won out.

The day had gone as beautifully as Brooke had hoped. Light traffic, soft sunshine and gorgeous scenery combined for a drama free drive. It was kind of nice to know the smile she saw in the hotel bathroom mirror as she washed away the road was real this time.

Haley had called a couple times each of the last two days, checking in, always to make sure she was still going. It took the second call for Brooke to realize that Haley was looking for reassurance; every time they talked, Haley always asked the same questions _you're coming right?_ and _so we'll see you Christmas Eve morning? You're sure?_ Brooke's personal favorite had been _you know your godson is jumping for joy right now, he's so excited to see you. I bet you can't wait to see him, huh?_ She had to give it to Tutor-mom, she was definitely excelling in the guilt trip department.

Brooke had called Rachel Monday evening, after she'd already gone past the point of no return and knew she couldn't back out. All Monday she had been bouncing between backing out and actually making the trip to Tree Hill. Jess's intense desire to help her set up her leave was what finally pushed her over the edge. Rachel had been just as relieved and eager, albeit for completely different reasons. Rachel, who was living in New York as well but was in California for a work assignment, had decided to come home as well. She told Brooke she'd arrive Christmas Day, hopefully in time for the annual Christmas Dinner at Karen's diner. Brooke had found herself excited at the prospect of seeing her old friend, an unexpected bonus that had left Brooke smiling softly when she'd hung up with the fiery redhead.

Brooke was still annoyed at the lack of information she'd been able to gather over the last couple days; both Rachel _and_ Haley had remained tight-lipped about the situation with Lucas. The girl who'd called Brooke Sunday night, Amber, apparently, had also remained silent. Brooke had debated calling Lucas Monday after she'd hung up with Rachel, but she chickened out. He'd never called her back, and he was the one missed call that didn't have a voicemail when she'd finally gotten around to checking them. If he'd really wanted to talk to her, he'd have called her back. Right?

After ordering room service and taking an incredibly luxurious soak in the bath tub, Brooke slipped on the fluffy robe, hopped onto the feather-down bed and settled in. She intended on taking full advantage of a night in a pricey hotel, a splurge she'd denied herself for entirely too long. So what if her emotions were all over the place, and her mind was scattered? At least her surroundings were polished and orderly and posh.

The few brief moments Brooke had allowed herself downtime the last couple of days, Brooke's mind had immediately jumped to Lucas, and every painful – loving – hurting – happy – moment she'd experienced with him. Sometimes the memories would creep up on her, and she'd blank out in the middle of a run down with Jess. Those were the worst, the ones that Brooke would come back from with heat in her cheeks, and a graceless excuse as she hurried away. Brooke hadn't even come to grips with the fact that Lucas was with someone, let alone _living_ with someone. How in the hell was she supposed to keep her balance and help him, if she couldn't even think about him without getting jealous and grumpy? Good lord she was a mess.

Brooke hadn't always pined for Lucas. And it wasn't like she was pining for him now, exactly. And the wine must have really started kicking in, because thinking about a time when she hadn't loved the blonde boy did nothing but bring hurt to the surface. But it was true; Brooke had once dared to love another, and for a brief moment in time, she'd thought she'd had it. It. Everything. All she'd ever wanted.

No amount of wine could make Brooke think his name, but sometimes, like tonight, when her guards were down low enough, some of the happier memories would break free, and those were okay. It was when the far more numerous darker memories surfaced that things got…unpleasant.

The move to New York had come almost immediately after graduation. It had been a sudden thing, and permanent. Everyone had been caught off guard with the announcement, but Brooke hadn't been able to bring herself to feel regret over their confusion and hurt. She'd been hurting for so long, and the memories were too powerful; leaving had been her only option.

New York had been everything she'd hoped for. Her parents made things difficult, but any true affection between them had been absent too long for it to affect her very deeply. The fact that she'd been an eighteen-year-old girl in New York, with means, and a fierce drive for a fresh start had pretty much guaranteed success for her. Her climb to the top had been so swift and sure, that she never saw the fall coming.

He'd been a driving force behind her oblivion. He'd had a way to make her feel cocooned, sheltered and held close. The only man she'd ever dared to love as deeply as she had Lucas, her defenses had been completely down. The level of access he'd had to her only served to make the impact from her fall that much harder, and had left her shaking and uneven for months afterward. The only way Brooke had found back to her feet involved swearing off men for life, and Brooke had been content with that decision.

Except for Lucas.

Lucas was her weakness, forever would be most likely. The power that boy had over her terrified Brooke to her very core, and thrilled her at the same time. Thinking about Lucas brought Brooke to life, sparked something inside her that she hadn't felt in a long time. Life, passion, drive, need, being needed, it all came down to the same thing – _being alive._

And she hadn't even _talked_ to the man yet. They were so screwed.

 **AN:** This story is raw, and I'm doing my own editing. If you catch something, please let me know, I want to fix it. Lila, thanks for the heads up :)

 **Disclaimer: I do not own One Tree Hill, it's characters, or plotlines. I'm only playing with the characters for my own amusement, and will never see a dime from this story.**


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